Corrosion

[vixpy1]

I have looked back over the threads and seen some people have got MB to pay for bodywork corrosion. I have a very nasty bit of proper rust on the wheelarch of the drivers side front.

I have looked in the manual and there is a Mobilo booklet in there, however there is no mention of Bodywork, or how long the bodywork Warranty lasts. The car is a Dec 97.

Any ideas guys.

Thanks,

Charlie.

 

[Birdman]

Found this on another thread at:
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=2745&highlight=rust

...I mean my car is 5 years old (registered March 1998), technically the car is not covered by the Mobilo Life, 30 year anti-perforation warranty (that didn't come into force until Sept 98) even though my car has the Mobilo sticker just above the tax disc.

So today I get the call... MB have agreed to pay all costs covering the rust repair...

So, maybe it is....and maybe it isn't...(cue recorder music), depending on the dealer history and how you play it (like a violin, hopefully!).
- Birdman

 

[Captain Peacock]

I have looked back over the threads and seen some people have got MB to pay for bodywork corrosion. I have a very nasty bit of proper rust on the wheelarch of the drivers side front.

I have looked in the manual and there is a Mobilo booklet in there, however there is no mention of Bodywork, or how long the bodywork Warranty lasts. The car is a Dec 97.

Any ideas guys.

Thanks,

Charlie.

As far as I am aware but not sure, it is thought that all Mercedes from 98 and have service history qualify for 30 years bodywork warranty, but saying that, your vehicle may still qualify, but not sure

I am having terrible trouble at the moment, my vehicle is 4 years old, with water under the paintwork on one of the wings, rust to the same wing [usual place], paint coming off the bottom of drivers door plus water under the paint, but the next bit is holding me up, there are signs of over spray on the other wing to the black seal [between the wing and bumper] plus overspray to the inside of the passenger door, plus a paint "sink" ring near the drivers door handle, plus rust to the top of the door seals.

I have been back to the stealerships 5 times and not getting anywhere fast, service says it a sales problem, sales says its a warranty problem, still got 6 months dealer warranty.I will try again on Thursday

 

[Birdman]

I have been back to the stealerships 5 times and not getting anywhere fast, service says it a sales problem, sales says its a warranty problem, still got 6 months dealer warranty.I will try again on Thursday

Insist on seeing the senior general manager (not a sales or service manager) - make an appointment first - tell him it's his problem to sort this out and don't allow the warring departments to bounce you around. There's usually a mutual dislike between sales and service departments but it's his responsibility to sort it out and see the customer gets help not hindrance. Tell him so!

My W210 is also approaching 4 years old, but with no signs of rust. I wonder why there are such differences between cars on this rust problem. Is it entirely due to variable quality control during manufacture?
- Birdman

 

[Captain Peacock]

Insist on seeing the senior general manager (not a sales or service manager) - make an appointment first - tell him it's his problem to sort this out and don't allow the warring departments to bounce you around. There's usually a mutual dislike between sales and service departments but it's his responsibility to sort it out and see the customer gets help not hindrance. Tell him so!

My W210 is also approaching 4 years old, but with no signs of rust. I wonder why there are such differences between cars on this rust problem. Is it entirely due to variable quality control during manufacture?
- Birdman

Well thankyou for that Birdman, will do just that, I was going to email head office of MB with the problem, to which I am led to believe the dealership can be hit with a 4 grand internal fine, both the sales and the service have told me whatever happens the job will be done to satisfaction at the end of all this, regards.

 

[Captain Peacock]

Insist on seeing the senior general manager (not a sales or service manager) - make an appointment first - tell him it's his problem to sort this out and don't allow the warring departments to bounce you around. There's usually a mutual dislike between sales and service departments but it's his responsibility to sort it out and see the customer gets help not hindrance. Tell him so!

All my problems been sorted, new wings etc etc, paintwork done under warranty by Mercedes at a Volkswagon dealership, how about that then

 

[Dieselman]

I have looked back over the threads and seen some people have got MB to pay for bodywork corrosion. I have a very nasty bit of proper rust on the wheelarch of the drivers side front.

I have looked in the manual and there is a Mobilo booklet in there, however there is no mention of Bodywork, or how long the bodywork Warranty lasts. The car is a Dec 97.

Any ideas guys.

Thanks,

Charlie.

Get it into the dealer. MB will entertain claims on cars upto eight years old.

 

[Steve_Perry]

All my problems been sorted, new wings etc etc, paintwork done under warranty by Mercedes at a Volkswagon dealership, how about that then

That wouldn't be S.G. Mercedes and Sinclairs VW by any chance would it? The VW and Mercedes dealership franchises across South Wales are actually owned by the same company but they don't like to let on with customers. SG is an acronym for Sinclair Garages.

S.

 

[Captain Peacock]

That wouldn't be S.G. Mercedes and Sinclairs VW by any chance would it? The VW and Mercedes dealership franchises across South Wales are actually owned by the same company but they don't like to let on with customers. SG is an acronym for Sinclair Garages.

S.

Er no, go North young man, outskirts of York, Layerthorpe Ltd (VW), Centurion Park, Clifton Moor, York, owned by a business woman,spray shops only yards away from the back door of Mercedes dealership. Mercedes in York think also own a Vauxhall franchise in Harrogate, plus a few more Merc garages. I have just found a complaint from the VW franchise, maybe worth a read to see how others go on
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Volkswagen__Review_5151806

 

[Birdman]

All my problems been sorted, new wings etc etc, paintwork done under warranty by Mercedes at a Volkswagon dealership, how about that then

Brilliant - a result! I think it's public pressure that has shamed M-B into meeting their warranty obligations. Word is, you only get one warranty claim so make sure they do a good job with the repaint.
- Birdman

 

[Dieselman]

Word is, you only get one warranty claim so make sure they do a good job with the repaint.
- Birdman

MB will stand by a failed repair and will repair again if necessary. Been there.

 

[Andy W]

I first submitted a claim 5th August 2004 and nothing was done, 10 unreturned phone calls later, a letter to MB UK and my dealer contacted me, they had "lost" the original paperwork and digital images but have now taken them all again 4 weeks ago, last week the guy rang to say that the claim had been submitted and he is awaiting a decission, fingers crossed.

 

[vixpy1]

Got my local paint guy to blast the wing and respray.. £120. As always he did a great job.

 

[Captain Peacock]

Got my local paint guy to blast the wing and respray.. £120. As always he did a great job.

Yes that's ok, but me thinks once I get out of the Mercedes warranty period my son in law will be my paintman. I have a very large workshop down the back of the house all kitted out with all the gear, tools, large compressor, assorted spray guns,airfed masks, infact everything you need. my son in law has just completed his MR2, jap import with full kit and chipped, full strip down of paintwork and done in Ferrari red. He picked up paint spraying by just practising at first in my workshop a couple of years ago, didn't take him long to get the knack, he's even been offered work by a Jap importer to do their paint work but declined has he doesn't want to do it as a trade, if you have the right gear your three quarters the way there. 30 or 40 quids worth of paint will do a full motor.

He fully resprayed my last Merc, it is still running about locally with a new owner and still looking immaculate even tho it's got 450 thousand on the clock, 95 E300D, boy I miss that motor, that never broke down or gave me any probs.Just heard the new owner had a recon job on the auto box, 700 quid and a heater motor and back on the road.

Back to paint spraying, after watching my son in law spraying I think I could soon get the hang, but hey I'm getting old now, why should I bother, let the young ones do it

I often look at the answers Dieselman gives, also others in the trade, to which I think [know]we are all grateful and should thank them for the advice.

In the 60's I was in the Army working with generators and power supply in the Royal Signals, usually working on my own in far off distant lands with a small troop or squadron, with just me on my own some to keep the power running for the communications gear. In the mid 70's early 80's I was a service engineer and trouble shooter for a very large forklift truck company covering the Northern area of UK,it was me who decided what was warranty or if it was chargeable, how times have changed, none of this going up the chain of command and all the paperwork. The name of the outfit I worked for, Clark Equipment a Yankie outfit, all sizes up to very large tonne, electric, diesel, lpg and electronic machines. Also worked on every other manufactors machines as well, Matbro, Yale, Boss, Coventry Climax, Nissan, Shaw, Linde, Toyota, Lancing Bagnall, Henley, Michigan, plus other manufactors names I have forgoten,plus the oddball machines, you name it I've repaired it. They all had manufacturing problems, the same as Mercedes Benz have their problems now. I have been out of it for years now, I forget, but things have moved on now, the hammer and chisel does not belong in the toolbox in this new age

I do still miss engineering, drilling and tapping, reaming, welding,braizing gear teeth etc etc, ripping off diesel pumps, sorting hydraulics out, re building auto transmissions, stripping, rebuilding Perkins engines, stripping down items to make repair, oh sorry, I'm starting to drool, now tho they just sling it and put a new item on, but has I said let the young do it now. I have forgotten a lot.

phew. [my tools are starting to go rusty, so am I]

Keep up the good work Dieselman.

 

[Birdman]

MB will stand by a failed repair and will repair again if necessary. Been there.

Well, yes and no.

Folks,
A note of caution on the Mobilolife. The maximum allowed period between services is two years, even if your mileage is low. But, for rust perforation claims the warranty states that each panel or chassis part affected will be replaced ONCE free of charge. Given that most W210s are getting this done at 3-5 years old, what's the chances of the 30 year warranty being worth anything!

My experience when I had four faulty shock absorbers replaced under warranty wasn't brilliant. I asked dealer what if the replacements parts were all faulty too and was informed Mercedes warranty repairs are only guaranteed until the original warranty period of the car and do not carry a separate warranty. So far the replacements haven't failed but its early days.
Of course, if you pay for a repair it carries a warranty, though not for 30-years.

 

[Dieselman]

Well, yes and no.


My experience when I had four faulty shock absorbers replaced under warranty wasn't brilliant. I asked dealer what if the replacements parts were all faulty too and was informed Mercedes warranty repairs are only guaranteed until the original warranty period of the car and do not carry a separate warranty.

This is pretty standard in the car industry.

 

[Birdman]

This is pretty standard in the car industry.

Because it's standard don't mean it's right.
Can we agree there's a "once only" replacement clause in M-B's 30-year rust warranty?

 

[glojo]

Because it's standard don't mean it's right.
Can we agree there's a "once only" replacement clause in M-B's 30-year rust warranty?

No. I haven't needed this service yet but when our 210 had a new wing and two new doors I asked about how it would effect any future claim and was told that providing I kept within the terms and conditions of the warranty I could claim as many times as I wanted. However if you get repairs in the 29th year, you will only have the remaining 12 months and not a further 30 years.

Sorry to disagree and I feel sure I will get my usual 'incoming' for not being negative.

Regards,
John

 

[GRAV888]

No. I haven't needed this service yet but when our 210 had a new wing and two new doors I asked about how it would effect any future claim and was told that providing I kept within the terms and conditions of the warranty I could claim as many times as I wanted. However if you get repairs in the 29th year, you will only have the remaining 12 months and not a further 30 years.

Sorry to disagree and I feel sure I will get my usual 'incoming' for not being negative.

Regards,
John

Taken directly from the Mobilo-life booklet:

"A Mercedes is a model of reliability and longevity. But we don't want to rest on our laurels, we want to go a stage further.
In addition to the mobility package, we will, from the launch of the new S-class, guarantee that your Mercedes car, delivered on or after 24th October 1998, will not rust through from the inside out. This guarantee is valid for the whole life of your Mercedes, that is to say, up to 30 years.
In the unlikely event that corrosion does occur from the inside out anywhere on the bodywork or underbody of the vehicle, it will be repaired by a Mercedes-Benz authorised workshop, free of charge, for labour and materials.
HOWEVER, SUBSEQUENT CLAIMS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED."

 

[glojo]

HOWEVER, SUBSEQUENT CLAIMS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED."

Hi Grav,
I appreciate what you say and certainly do not want to get into a symantic type handbag 'war'.

I have quickly got 'She that must be obeyed' to get our booklet.

Rather than type everything out, the relevant piece is on page 8 of the 211 service booklet

It details the work being carried out *****free of charge for labour and materials, to the exclusion of any further claims.******

Now this was explained to me as being a legal mumbo jumbo for stopping me claiming anything else for that particular repair?

You could read it as making a claim for a rusty front offside wing, then having a claim turned down six years later for a rusty nearside wing???

For my own piece of mind I will contact Mercedes-Benz tomorrow morning to clarify this point.

I wonder what your interpretation is?

Regards,
John